It's Still Life

The Problem That Was Never Yours

she typed into the dark
and sent it to my door

what’s your problem?

three words
that weigh too much

I could have caught the rock
thrown it back

instead

I don’t have a problem
but it seems you do

enough

my grandmother taught me
how to stop the first stone

refuse the target

you are not a collection plate
for grievance

not every argument is yours
not every snarl
needs your name

go to the window

blackthorn’s in bloom

let the message
turn to ash

choose silence

make tea

Written for Writers’ Digest Poem-a-Day Challenge for April 2026. Prompt word: problem. Photo by JJ Shev on Unsplash